Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said this year was the first year that the whole country suffered from the severe impact of natural disasters, causing the agricultural sector to experience negative growth for the first time. However, the Vietnamese government is fine-tuning its apparatus and improving the business environment with the issuance of a resolution on major tasks and solutions to implementing socio-economic plans and state budget estimates for 2016. He told the guest of Vietnam’s determination to achieve a 6.7% economic growth for this year. The prime minister pledged sound financial and monetary policies to ensure economic growth and stability, public debt reduction, and effective use of funds. He hoped that the IMF would continue its support for Vietnam’s socio-economic development. Dunn praised Vietnam’s efforts in economic reform with a focus on restructuring public investment, banks, and state-owned enterprises. In the context of gloomy global economic situation, he reiterated that the IMF would work with the Vietnamese government via policy consultation during Vietnam’s development process.
